Ecology and Geography Natural Resource Management

Key Terms #3  biodiversity  biome  biosphere  community (1C)  ecology  ecosystem  diversity  environment  latitude 2

Ecology  The word ecology has its root from the Greek words oikos, which means “house,” and logos, which means “study.” Eco- means “house” -ology means “study” 3

Ecology  One could say that ecology is the study of a house. “house” refers to the environment in which organisms live and which they share with other organisms 4

Environment  The environment is the nonliving, or abiotic, aspect of an organism’s immediate habitat. Includes both physical and chemical features:  Rocks, minerals, water, and air 5

Ecology  Ecology is the study of the interrelations between living organisms and their environment. Perhaps the broadest field within biology Involves many disciplines besides biology Geology, chemistry, climatology, earth science 6

Ecological Study  An ecological study: May be large and have a global emphasis May be narrow and focused on an individual species in a specific area  Involves the study of populations, communities, and physical environments on which living organisms depend 7

Population  A population is a group of individuals of the same species sharing the same geographic area. Could consist of whitetail deer, pheasants, or milkweed plants – or elk as shown below 8

Community  A community is all the species or populations living together in a given area. A woodland community would include the trees, herbaceous plants, mammals, reptiles, microorganisms, etc. Together, all the communities of living things on Earth compose the biosphere. 9

Living Organisms  The living organisms within the biosphere depend on the earth’s atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. The atmosphere is the gaseous layer that encompasses the earth. The lithosphere is the soil and rock that make up the earth’s crust. The hydrosphere is all the water on Earth, whether liquid, solid, salty, or fresh. 10

Ecosystem  An ecosystem is a community of organisms (biota) and its nonliving environment. For example: A large tract of forest may make up one ecosystem, while a puddle of water could be another. 11

Ecosystem  The interaction of living organisms and the influence of the environment on living organisms. Quite complex Vary from place to place Can be large or small 12

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Ecosystem Diversity  Ecosystem diversity is the variety of habitats in a particular area. It differs from biodiversity in that biodiversity refers to the variety of living organisms. 14

Living Organisms  Living organisms have evolved with adaptations that enable them to compete and survive in specific environments. These areas in which units of plants, animals, and microorganisms live and function together are classified by scientists. 15

Biome  A number of different classification systems have been presented and are used. The broadest area in these classification systems is biome.  A biome is a large geographic area that has distinctive plants and animals adapted to that particular environment. It is followed by ecoregion and ecosystem. 16

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Climate  Climate is a major factor in determining the range of terrestrial, or land, biomes. Climate is the temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count, and related meteorological features of an area noted over a long period. 18

Humidity  Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air.  Biomes may be described as: Humid Semi-humid Semi-arid Arid 19

Latitude  Latitude is the angular distance of a location on the earth north or south of the equator. Arctic, boreal, temperate, and tropical are descriptive titles given to biomes based on latitude. 20

Elevation  Elevation influences habitat types in a way similar to latitude. Higher elevations are cooler than lower elevations. The climate on mountains has some similarities to climates of latitudes away from the equator. 21

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Terrestrial Biomes  There is more than one way to divide the earth’s biomes. A commonly accepted set of terrestrial biomes includes: Tundra Taiga Alpine Grassland Temperate forest 23 Scrub Savannah Desert Tropical Rainforest

Tundra  Tundra is found in far northern regions of the earth that experience long, harsh winters and short summers. 24

Taiga  Taiga, or boreal forest, consists primarily of coniferous trees below the tundra regions. 25

Alpine Biomes  Alpine, or mountain, zones are regions of high altitude. Going up in altitude is similar to moving toward the North Pole. 26

Grasslands  Grasslands typically have hot summers, cold winters, and variable precipitation. 27

Temperate Forests  Temperate forests are forest areas with temperate or moderate temperatures and relatively high precipitation. 28

Scrub or Chaparral  Scrub, or chaparral, is characterized by mild winters and very dry summers. 29

Desert  Desert may be found in temperate or tropical regions. 30

Savannah  Savannah is tropical grassland with trees scattered across the landscape. 31 Grassland-shrub savanna characteristic of the northern Chihuahuan Desert on the 193,000-acre Jornada Experimental Range. (Courtesy USDA)

Tropical Rainforest  Tropical rainforest is found in regions of the world where temperatures are high throughout the year and rain falls almost daily. 32

Biodiversity  Tropical rainforest - the diversity of living organisms is very high. Tends to increase from the poles toward the equator and as humidity increases Biodiversity is the variety of life forms within a biome or in an ecosystem. 33

Review  What is ecology?  What other disciplines besides biology does the study of Ecology encompass?  What term describes all the communities of living things on Earth?  What region of the earth would you find Tundra?  What are the differences between biomes? 34